Mechanical ball game



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1,

G. S. CURTIS, Jr. & J. M. HALLOWELL. MECHANICAL BALL GAME.

No. 487,825. Patented Dec. 13, 1892.

wltlesse (No Model.) 2 Sheets- Sheet 2.

G. s. CURTIS, Jr. & J. M. HALLOWELL.

MECHANICAL BALL GAMB- No. 487,825. Patented Dec. 13, 1892.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GREELY STEVENSON C URTIS, JR.., OF BOSTON, AND JAMES MOTT HALLOW'ELL, OF WVEST lWIEDFORD, MASSACHUSETTS.

MECHANICAL BALL GAME.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 487,825, dated December 13, 1892.

Application filed August 29, 1891.

.To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, GREELY STEVENSON CURTIS, Jr., of Boston, in the county of Suffolk, and JAMES MOTT HALLoWELL, of West Medford, in the county of Middlesex, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Mechanical Ball Games, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters and numerals on the drawings representing like parts.

Our invention consists of a new and useful improvement in mechanical ball games.

Our invention is especially applicable to a miniature game of base-ball which will preserve the essential elements of the field game of base-ball, so that the miniature mechanical game may be played under substantially the same rules as the field game.

A specific apparatus by which the game of base-ball may be played in miniature according to our invention is represented and described as follows, with reference to the drawin gs, in. which Figure 1 is a perspective drawing of the game-board upon which the miniature ballfield is laid out,'the mechanical players being shown in their respective positions. Fig. 2 is a perspective drawing of one of the mechanical players. Figs. 3 and 3 show the mechanical bat in its two extreme positions. Fig. 4 is a perspective drawing of one of the movable players or pawns.

In Fig. 1, P is a trough or chute suitably supported above the game-board. As herein shown it has its upper and larger end resting in a slot A in the back board or centerfield fence and its lower end terminating at or near the square or pitchers box, (marked 1,) the chute or pitcher being free at all points, so that it may be moved both to vary its inclination and also to the right or left, either bodily or radially, about the pitchers box 1, to thereby vary not only the speed at which the ball is delivered to the bat, but also to vary the direction in which the ball shall approach the bat. For purposes of further description the trough or chute P, or its mechanical substitute, will be called the pitcher. B'represents a bat pivoted on a pin a; in the game-board in such a position that it may Serial no. 404,082. (No model.)

swing horizontally over the square or homeplate, (marked 2.) This pivotx maybelocated conveniently near one end of the bat B. E is a spring to actuate the bat. It is here shown as fastened to the bat so that it is in a state of tension when the bat is detained by the trigger T, Figs. 1 and 3. The tension of the spring E is to be sufficient to swing the bat across thehome-plate 2 when the bat is released 6 from the trigger T. K K K, Fig. 1, are pockets affixed to or situated in the game-board. They are shown herein as hood-shaped receptacles mounted on the surface of the board and having substantially vertical entrances to catch aball moving swiftly over the game-board. In front of each hood K is hung a gate g, which swings inward toward the hood, but will not swing outward. The construction of the gate g is described inconnection with Fig. 2. Hereinafter the hoods K, in combination with the flaps or gates g, will be referred to as fielders, their function being analogous to that of the fielding-players in the field game of base-ball.

Fig. 2 showsa perspective view of a fielder, The function of the fielder is as follows: When a ball is batted by the bat B in the direction of a fielder, before entering the fielder it must pass the gate g, which is here shown as hinged 8o horizontally in front of the pocket. This gate g is hung so as to swing inward and admit the ball. WVhen the ball is in the fielder, the gate swings back to its vertical position, the projecting corners n 'n of the gate striking against the supporting-pins it, so that the ball cannot pass back through the gate.

Returning to Fig. 1, R R R are ridges or fences on the game-board, dividing the board into several territories corresponding to the infield,short outfield,and long outfield of the base-ball field. F F are ridges similar to R, laid in directions at right angles to each other and defining the boundary between foul and fair territory as understoodin the game of base-ball. F and F are referred to hereinafter as the foul-lines. The side walls about the game-board are preferably of two heights. From the points where the foullines F F touch the side Walls to the back [00 wall already referred to as the center-field fence, and in which is the slot A, the side walls are substantially equal to the back wall in height and are of greater height than the walls about thatv part of the game board marked foul. At the front or bat end of the game-board is a space in the surrounding Wall of suitable width to enable a player to manipulate the bat by means of the string S, attached to the trigger T.

The function of the ridges or fences R R is double and is as follows: The ball when bat ted, if not caught by a fielder, may be arrested by one of the ridges R and remain in the territory bounded by the ridge against which it has struck, or it may rebound from the ridge into the diamond or infield, which is-the square marked 0 D I-IJin Fig. 1. This rebound of the ball from a ridge R into the diamond is a mechanical movement analogous to the action of a base-ball player who on the real ball-field catches abatted ball and throws it to the player at first base, thereby putting out the batsman.

Figs. 3 and 3 show the action of the spring E and trigger T on the bat B. Fig. 3 shows the bat detained by the trigger in such a position that the spring E exerts its force, tending to swing the bat to the position shown in Fig. 3". When the bat is released from the trigger, the spring causes the bat to swing over the home-plate 2 to the position shown in Fig. 3

The rules of the game follow closelythe rules of the field game of base-ball as far as they are adapted to the apparatus described.

' In connection with the game-board are used a suitable number of pawns or dummies, which represent the batting and running ball-team. I

In Fig. 4B is shown a suitable form of pawn for the batting and running ball-team. One of these is placed near the bat. One person playing delivers the balls from the pitcher P, Fig. 1. Another person playing manipulates the bat, which is drawn into position and caught by the trigger, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. The person handling the pitcher may alter the speed or direction of the ball or both the speed and direction of the ball by moving the upper or slot end of the pitcher to the left or right or up and down, as his experience in the game may dictate. The fate of the pawn or batsman. is decided by the methods peculiar to base-ball. It the ball is hit by the bat to a safe place in the boa'rdthat is to say, if it is able number of bases for each successive hit, as in the field-game of base-ball.

We claim as our invention- 1. A game-board provided at or near one end with a mechanically-actuated ba-t, combined with angularly-arranged ridges on and within the limits of the board to cause a ball struck by a bat to rebound and be returned to the vicinity of the bat and a downwardlyinclin-ed chute to deliver the ball upon the board at a point between the bat and the said ridges, substantially as described.

2. A game-board provided with a mechanical bat, combined with a series of ridges R, arranged on and within the limits of the said game-board, breaks in the said ridges, and fielding-hoods having substantially-verti-cal entrances arranged immediately behind said breaks, substantially as described.

3. A game-board provided with a mechanical bat, combined with the several series of ridges arranged in substantially the manner herein shown to divide the board into infield, short outfield, and long outfield, and the foulridges F F, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

enmity STEVENSON- CURTIS, JR. JAMES MO'IT HALLOWELL.

Witnesses:

FREDERICK L. EMERY, ODIN B. ROBERTS. 

